A presentation about the reform of higher education system in Lebanon presented within the meeting of the Higher education reform Experts and SPHERE in Barcelona- Spain on 12 Dec. 2016
Reform of Higher education in Lebanon -HERE General Assembly
1. Reform in Lebanese Higher Education
Ahmad JAMMAL
Director General of Higher Education
HERE 2016 Annual Conference
HERE & Their mission: Contributing to HE Reform
University of Barcelona, Spain
12-13 December , 2016
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2. This presentation will cover:
A historical background of the Lebanese HE sector
Preconditions to Reform HE
Major challenges to reform
Steps towards reform & strategic plan for HE
Key Success Factors
Action Plan
What has been Done
The road ahead
2HERE 2016 Annual Conference, University of Barcelona, Spain, Dec. 12-13, 2016
3. Lebanese HEIs: history background
- In 1866 (AUB), in 1875 (USJ),
- One public university (LU) created in 1953,
- Before 1986, there was 10 private HEIs (4 universities AUB, USJ, BAU,
USEK, & 6 institutes. 4 were transformed later to universities LAU, HU,
ULS, MEU),
- 1986-1996: new 12 HEIs,
- 1999-2001: new 18 HEIs,
- 2004-2011: new 7 HEIs.
Lebanese HE: regulatory background
- 1961: HE Law & Council of Higher Education,
- 1962: Committees for recognition, equivalency, practice in Engineering,
Colloquium Exams in Health & Medical sciences,
- 1996: Criteria for Licensing, Technical Committee, EQ in HE,
- 2002: Directorate General of Higher Education
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HERE 2016 Annual Conference, University of Barcelona, Spain, Dec. 12-13, 2016
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In 2002, the DGHE was created to have the responsibility of the
HE sector in Lebanon.
On the Basis of the existing preconditions:
• HE old system with good experience,
• Multi-diverse system,
• Open to international dimension,
• Major role in developing HR in Lebanon and the region,
• High autonomy of HEIs (academic, financial) even public one,
HERE 2016 Annual Conference, University of Barcelona, Spain, Dec. 12-13, 2016
5. But:
- Old regulations: HE law dated 1961
- No mission or vision for the sector
- Licensing of 30 private HEIs from 1990 to 2001, without
planning or needs’ assessment analysis
- HEIs are non profit (by the law) - Misconduct of some HEIs,
- Lack of accountability,
- Problems of governance (no clear separation of authority
between academics & founding party),
- Lack of transparency
- Questions about the quality of education
- Questions about relevance (employability)
5HERE 2016 Annual Conference, University of Barcelona, Spain, Dec. 12-13, 2016
6. Questions (Barcelona Conference)
What to do? (Actions) How? (Processes)
(Actors) Who is responsible of developing HE system?
Who will define the Mission & Vision of the system in
Lebanon & How to do that? To whom it is accountable for?
State, Public & Private HEIs, Orders, Students, Market,
other stakeholders in general.
What are the challenges?
6HERE 2016 Annual Conference, University of Barcelona, Spain, Dec. 12-13, 2016
7. Basic considerations:
The Arab Strategy for the development of higher education,
The conferences of Arab Ministers in charge of HE (Beirut 2000,
Cairo 2002),
European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) & the European development
in HE (BP),
National new dynamic since 2001 (conferences, workshops and
dialogues).
Recommendations to reform the sector:
Focusing on
A new Strategy for HE: objectives, action plans,
Introducing quality assurance in the sector,
Encouraging HEIs, Professional bodies, etc. to contribute to the
reform processes,
Developing a new law for HE,
Restructuring the HE system.
7HERE 2016 Annual Conference, University of Barcelona, Spain, Dec. 12-13, 2016
8. Major challenges to reform
- Engage HEIs in the reform process
- Engage other stakeholders (NGOs, Professional
associations, etc.)
- Human Resources: Expertise & Capacity Building
- Lack of financial resources
- Political context
- Administrative context
- Social & economic context: unemployment aggravated by
massive number of Syrian refugee's
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HERE 2016 Annual Conference, University of Barcelona, Spain, Dec. 12-13, 2016
9. Towards Reform in HE
First Step - National Mobilisation
2002-2005: Dissemination, Training, Institutional Audit, Conferences,
Workshops (Parliament, Order of Engineers, Economic & Social Council,
MEHE, HEIs)
Second Step - Reform Actions
2005-2007: Taskforces, National concertation
=> Strategic Framework & action plans
Third Step - Further reform actions
Since 2008- New tools & actors: DGHE, HEREs, Taskforces,
International Cooperation: EU, Tempus IV, WB, UNESCO, UNDP
- New resources (human and financial) & Capacity Building
- Planning in priorities (Coordination with partners)
- Creating taskforces: Regulations, Governance, QA, e-learning
9HERE 2016 Annual Conference, University of Barcelona, Spain, Dec. 12-13, 2016
10. Key Success Factors
State engaged in reform (Parliament, Council of Ministers, etc.)
HEIs committed to reform
Spread of common language of reform
Cooperation between public and private HE sectors
EU support (ENP, Tempus, EM, Erasmus+, Horizon 2020)
HEREs from 2008 (Training, National consultation, Support to
stakeholders, Local actions and TAMs…)
Support of the international community
• UNESCO: ICT, EQA
• UNDP: Programmes Assessment
• WB: Governance
• AUF: Training on self assessment
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HERE 2016 Annual Conference, University of Barcelona, Spain, Dec. 12-13, 2016
11. What Has Been Done (1)
• 2007-2008: Strategic Policy for HE (plans and proposals).
Institutional Capacity Building (HEIs):
• 2006-2014: 14 Tempus Structural Projects : External Quality Assurance,
Student services, Employment offices, Orientation, Career services,
International relations, Employment Observatory, Distance Learning, etc.
Plus 4 E+ SP: (Networking, MERIC, TLQAA+ (Programmes Assessment)
• 2012-2013: WB project on benchmarking governance in HEIs (29
universities from Lebanon involved)
• 2010-2016: HERE actions and TAMs : LO, Credit system, EQA, Students
services, e-Learning (debate), IQA, KPIs to monitor HE, Financing HE
• 2016-2017: further training on Self Assessment with AUF
• 2017: 4 HERE TAMs on Civic Engagement, Employability, Doctoral
Studies and Rethinking HE reform
11HERE 2016 Annual Conference, University of Barcelona, Spain, Dec. 12-13, 2016
12. What Has Been Done (2)
At national level (legislation and regulation)
• 2012: New decree for regulating doctoral programs
• 2013: New decrees regulating pathways from VET to HE and for
regulating the licensing of Medical schools
• 2014: New law for HE ratified by the parliament (framework for the
governance of private HEIs, management, finance, autonomy,
participation, students and faculty members rights, QA and accreditation.
• Since 2014: 2 other laws in discussion in the parliament (ratified by the
government):
- Creating LQA agency: autonomous, standards, indicators, etc.
- Restructuring DGHE
• 2014-2015: Tuning Engineering, Architecture & Medical schools studies,
12HERE 2016 Annual Conference, University of Barcelona, Spain, Dec. 12-13, 2016
13. What Has Been Done (3)
At Local, Regional & International levels:
- Opening to new partnerships within and outside the country (Tempus, EM,
E+ projects helped in this direction),
- Exchange of expertise in evaluation & QA procedures,
- Double & joint degrees,
- Exchange for recognition (National authorities, ERIC-NARIC network) &
accreditation with European agencies, CTI, FEANI, RIBA, FIBAA,
EVALAG, HERES, etc. + USA (NEASC, ABET, Middle State, etc. )
- Tuning to internationalise competencies & facilitate mobility,
- EQA with EUA & Accreditation of HEIs by European Agencies
- Networking with regional & international associations,
13HERE 2016 Annual Conference, University of Barcelona, Spain, Dec. 12-13, 2016
14. The road ahead
• Continue the action plan,
• Review of the strategy,
• Re-prioritise (continuous process),
• Finalise the implementation of the new law of HE,
• Develop a reliable monitoring system for the sector,
• Develop a NQF,
• Actions to address employability.
Still many difficulties
Political: instability slowing down legislative measures (QAA &
DGHE laws stuck at Parliament), Implementation of the new
procedures and indicators for licensing, Ethics & Code of conduct,
Corruption, etc.
Resources: Lack of Human & Financial resources,
Social & Economic: Unemployment, refugees.
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15. Thank you
Ahmad JAMMAL, Prof. Dr.
Director general of Higher Education
MEHE - DGHE, Habib Abi Chahla Street
Beirut, Lebanon
Phone: +961.1.77250 or +961.1.772677
Fax: +961.1.772529
Web Site: www.higher-edu.gov.lb
Twitter: @ajammal_lb
Emails: ajammal@outlook.com
ajammal@ieee.org
ajammal@higher-edu.gov.lb 15